Cucumber is Dead, and AI is Replacing It

In February 2023, SmartBear laid off the last co-founder of the Cucumber open-source project, signaling a shift in the test automation industry towards more advanced SaaS-based and AI-powered solutions. Cucumber, known for promoting Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) through its use of Gherkin language, emphasizes collaboration and living documentation, but faces challenges when used solely for test automation, such as maintenance overhead and performance issues. This has led to a growing interest in AI-driven tools like testRigor, which allows for specification-driven development using plain English, thereby reducing complexity and maintenance for QA teams. TestRigor supports a wide range of features, including cross-platform testing and integration with existing Gherkin files, making it an attractive alternative for organizations seeking efficient test automation without extensive coding requirements.